Tiempo Libre brings irresistible style to Dow Gardens

Cathy Nelson Price

Published 8:00 pm, Wednesday, September 5, 2007

For Tiempo Libre musical director Jorge Gomez, the two-time Grammy-nominated group is like a family: a noisy, talented one that plays and works hard. "Every time we start a new recording, first we make a party. Then we make a song."

Then comes another party, as area audiences will find out when the high-energy Cuban ensemble visits the outdoor stage at Dow Gardens at 7:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 13, presented by Matrix:Midland. Seven talented young musicians, trained in Cuba's finest music conservatories, bring their innovative mix of what Gomez calls, "the American jazz of Oscar Peterson combined with the Cuban flavor of Celia Cruz." The style is called Timba, which Gomez describes as "a combination out of the ordinary, like rice with mango. Two things you wouldn't necessarily put together, but the flavor is delicious."

And, as their rapidly growing fan base attests, irresistible. When Tiempo Libre hits the stage, wherever the venue might be, few people can stay in their seats. "When we play," Gomez said, "it's all energy and craziness, happiness and a positivist attitude. People just stand up and dance." (The folks at Matrix must have seen that coming; the gates open at 5:30 for a pre-program that includes a happy hour and salsa dance lessons.)

More than just a purveyor of feel-good Latin rhythms, Tiempo Libre also serves as a musical ambassador of the Cuban musical heritage. It's a remarkable role, considering that these thirtysomething musicians grew up under a regime that could have sent them to jail for listening to Gloria Estefan or The Beatles.

In just over six years together, Tiempo Libre has globe-hopped from Asia (where, Gomez remarked, "they don't understand much English or Spanish but they like to move a lot") to Minnesota, where a new piece, the Rumba Sinfonia, will debut in November. Commissioned by the Minnesota Orchestra, the composition has been in development for six months. It adds the symphonic component to timba music, Gomez said. "Right now we're refining the orchestrations." While an eventual recording is always a possibility, he added, "We'll start with a live concert, and then we'll see."

Meanwhile, the onetime students have turned teachers, taking their expertise on the road to universities and cultural centers as well as concert halls. "We teach them how to play the instruments, how to dance," Gomez said. "The younger ones, as young as 5, want to learn to play. The older ones want to hear more about Cuban food, the people, the culture."

Tickets are $26 for adults, $18 for students. Call the Midland Center for the Arts Box Office at 989-631-5930 or order online at www.mcfta.org